The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-02-17
s oner or later all great fortunes are alb.
sor' ed by the people.-Augusta Chronicle
BlSMARCk'S OPPONENTS,
Windthorst and Richter, Who Spoke
Against the Army Bill.
Especial Correspondence. ]

Especial correspondence
BERLIN, Jan. 12.-All Europe is excited
over the debate in the reichstag between Bis
marck on one side and DR.. Windthorst and
DR.. Richter, leaders of the Clerical party and
the Progressists, on the other, on the army
bill, and l suppose that the excitement has
in some degree extended TO the United States.
Let me make this an occasion for giving your
readers some few facts concerning the two
remarkable men who have opposed Bismarck
men who, though widely differing on many
subjects and in many debates, were united on
this occasion.
Ludwig Windthorst, leader of the Clericals,
is an intellectual giant but physical dwarf.
He has fine head of flowing, white hair and
wears gold-rimmed spectaces. He is called
by his admirers "the pearl of Meppen," a
place famous for nothing but that it has pro-
duced him He was born Nov. IL, 1912,
and, notwithstanding his advanced age, is
still vigorous He studied law in Goettingen,
Heidelberg, and practiced until he was
appointed presiding councillor of the
consistery at Osnabruck. Hanover was
then an independent kingdom, with a
hatred of Prussia. WindthoTst was member
of the Hanoverian house of delegates from
1910 to 1866. In 1851 he was the president,
and after Sadowa made a national reputa-
ton in his defense of poor King George
against King William, wrestling from the
latter's hands the Guelph fund, which was
finally granted the blind king. In 1867
Windthorst was elected to the Prussian
house Of deputies, and then to the
reichstag. When he speaks his SEN
fences are clear cut and smooth; his
ideas flow logically. His achievements
on the floor of the reichstag won for him in
1871 the title of the 'little excellency." He
has shown himself to be more than Bis
marcl1's equal in parliamentarian tactics on
more than one occasion. The speaker never
has to call Windthorst to order, for he always
sticks to the matter under discussion and
never makes misstatements. He is meyer
abusive nor coarse, but he often exposes his
opponent to derision by the use of clever in
nuendo His greatest stroke was his success
full urging of the abolition of the law exiting
refractory clergymen.
Eugene Richter is a very different man.
Windthorst is the pink Of politeness, Richter
is the reverse Windthorst defends the ideas
of the past Richter fights in the vanguard OF
progress Windthorst is pigmy in size
Richter is giant Windthorst is an al.isto
GRAFT, Richter is aplebeian. Socially they dc
not consort, They hate each other
bitterly, but their intense dislike TO,
Bismarck often brings them together
Richter was born July 90 1888, in Dusseldorf
He studied jurisprudence and national
economy in Bonn, Heidelberg and Berlin Ii
1864, he was enrolled in the government ser
vices, but his socialistic ideas got him into
of Neuwild, but the government would moi
sanction the election. A year later, he wa'
ordered transferred to Bomberg, but was in
dgnant at the proposed change, and threw
I'D his position and moved to Berlin. Since
then he has devoted himself to politica
and journalistic work. The present efficient
organization of the Progressist party is al
most entirely due to his skill and zeal as al
organizer He has become the mouthpiece Of
the people, and often is naturally arrayeG
against the Clerical party. He has wonder
full memory and has fought successfully the
proposed governmental alcohol monopoly
the increased corn duty, state control of The
railroads and other projects tending to cen
tralization. At first he sided with the gov
eminent to bring about the May laws against
Catholicism, but seeing Bismarck SO firmly
wrapped up in this measure, he opposed il
tooth and nail In 1885 he founded a Liberia
journal, and he grows more radical every
year. He has more enemies than friend!
am ong those who hold office, but he is The
idol of the Berlin masses. ]. *. $.